


Yeladim

by sebastian2017



Series: Jewish Fics [6]
Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Canon Jewish Character, High Holidays, M/M, Meet-Cute, dadneto, moody teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 20:29:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20880218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sebastian2017/pseuds/sebastian2017
Summary: Erik has come to realize that being a parent is about 75% stepping out of the sanctuary in the middle of services because one of his children is crying.





	Yeladim

**Author's Note:**

> last year I made an angsty high holidays fic so it seems fitting this years is just fluffy and adorable, if perhaps a bit ooc xD
> 
> Enjoy!

Erik had, like a fool, assumed that the more kids one has, the easier things would get. He’d have more experience, after all, and isn’t experience supposed to make things easier? Unfortunately, he’d forgotten to account for how much more maddening an experience four kids is compared to just two. It seems almost a crime to compare them, considering how many more grey hairs he’s grown since the twins were born nearly a year ago. 

(Granted, some of those grey hairs had probably come from the divorce and the stress of a house fire and a daughter in and out of the hospital. But it’s so much easier to point towards the twins and say ‘see? It’s because of happy things, not because my life has been falling apart’.) 

Rosh HaShanah has been Erik’s favorite holiday since he was a little boy, but he can sympathize as to why a ten month old might not enjoy sitting through several hours of services. It’s why he’s only mildly put out when Wanda starts crying and forces him to head out to the lobby to pace about with her for a while so she’ll calm down once more. 

At least his parents had come along, too, so they could stay behind with Pietro, Lorna, and Anya. It’s the perfect day to be grateful for small miracles, he supposes. The entrance lobby is almost empty by now, well enough into services that even most of the stragglers have arrived. Erik only spots one tired looking man in a wheelchair and a grumpy looking teenager, which is for the best. He’s not in the best of moods to put up with people glaring at him over a crying baby. As though he really has all that much control over how tiny humans communicate. 

Erik’s not usually the friendliest towards strangers, but it’s the high holidays, so even he’s a bit more open than usual. Erik gestures towards the brooding teenage boy sitting on the steps a little bits away from them, then down to his crying baby. “I take it bringing kids to services never gets easier?” 

“Hmm?” The man looks to him, momentarily confused until he spots Wanda. “Ah. The crying changes to different methods of displaying their discontent, but you’re right, unfortunately. It doesn’t get much better until far beyond the teenage years, I believe. I hope, at least.” 

“Pity. Here I was counting down the days until my first Bat Mitzvah,” Erik says, hopping about from foot to foot to keep Wanda soothed and entertained. 

“Is she your first?” he asks. 

Erik shakes his head. “No. But my oldest is only six. Still an all hands on deck sort of time.” 

“I remember those days. Seems like a lifetime ago.” The man sighs nostalgically, staring off towards, presumably, his son who is scowling down at a cell phone. He looks away again a moment later and extends his hand towards Erik. “I’m Charles and that’s my son David. Do you come here often? Ah, that sounds a bit unfortunate. I mean to say if you attend services here regularly.” 

Erik snorts, amused. “We do. With four children six and under, dropping them off at Hebrew school or children’s services is practically the only peace my ex wife and I get.” 

“Understandable. With a teenager in the house, Friday nights and Saturday mornings aren’t the most productive of times,” Charles remarks. 

“I suppose I’ll find out for myself in a few years,” he agrees. Wanda’s calmed down a bit by now, seemingly soothed by being in a quieter space. Still, Erik keeps stroking her hair and bouncing her gently. “I’m Erik. This here is little Wanda. Perhaps we’ll see you around here more often in the new year?”

“Perhaps,” Charle nods, smiling up towards him in a way that makes Erik’s insides flutter in a way that he hasn’t felt since he and Magda were still dating. 

“No!” 

Erik turns, shocked to see the teenager off his phone and standing again. “I’m sorry?” 

“Not you,” the boy, David, says, waving him off. David marches straight towards his father instead, crossing his arms over his chest belligerently. “You are  _ not  _ dragging me to shul every week just so you can flirt with some random dad you just met.” 

Erik would say he’s embarrassed to hear that, but it’s nothing compared to how mortified Charles looks. “My apologies, Erik. David here is a telepath and doesn’t quite have the best grasp on when it’s appropriate to make one’s thoughts public or not.” 

“Ah. Well, I’m always happy to be a bit more patient with our mutant brethren,” Erik assures him. “And for what it’s worth… you’re more than welcome to flirt with me outside of shul if it’ll keep your son happy. Shanah Tovah, both of you.” 

Erik pulls out a spare piece of scrap metal from his pocket and engraves his phone number on it quickly enough that he can’t rethink it and leaves it on Charles’ lap. With a final wink, he heads back into the sanctuary and decides getting distracted amidst the prayers is the best way to not dwell too much on the teenager glaring at the back of his head. 

It might be a sweet year after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> Shanah Tovah!
> 
> for questions, prompts, or chatting I can be found on tumblr at [sebbym17](http://sebbym17.tumblr.com/) but mostly lurking around Discord [particularly, THIS X-Men server](https://discord.gg/WYNyhb2) talking about Magneto, cherik, and crying about comics. Join us!


End file.
